VERNON — A Sussex County animal rights activist was found guilty of interfering with state wildlife biologists who were trying to tranquilize a bear to change its radio collar and resisting arrest, a judge has ruled.

Susan Kehoe, 60, of Vernon was found guilty under New Jersey’s so-called hunter harassment statute, which prohibits animal rights activists from interfering with hunters.

"The DFW (Division of Fish and Wildlife) personnel were attempting to capture and/or catch the subject black bear. (The) defendant’s actions obstructed and impeded their efforts.

The incident began when Kehoe set out with her neighbor and fellow longtime activist Angie Metler, 53, on Oct. 8, 2008, after being notified that biologists were in the south parking lot of Mountain Creek ski resort in Vernon, near Route 94 and 517.

A bear had been tracked to a nearby wooded area by members of the state’s Bear Project who were trying to tranquilize a large female bear wearing a global positioning system transmitter collar with a low-running battery.

Several state wildlife workers testified during Kehoe’s three-day trial that Kehoe, armed with a video recorder and a digital still camera, intentionally tried to prevent them from shooting the bear with a second tranquilizer dart. After being shot the first time, the bear ran off and was located again following a 90-minute search and shot a second time.

The wildlife workers claimed they were initially unable to safely shoot a second dart -- which is required to ensure the animal is fully sedated -- because Kehoe positioned herself in the vicinity of the bear and caused a commotion at the scene.

Kehoe herself testified during the nonjury trial that she could have been accidentally hit by the first shot because of her proximity to the animal.

Kehoe said she had been working on a documentary for years and wanted to document the activities of the wildlife workers. Metler and Kehoe planned to post the photos on the websites for the Bear Educational and Resource Group and the Animal Protection League of New Jersey.

Kehoe was also found guilty of resisting arrest for refusing to put her hands behind her back when she was being arrested by Vernon police officers Harry Russo Jr. and William Terrill.

Kehoe had refused to put her hands behind her back because she claimed it would be too painful to do so due to surgery that she had on her right arm in 1999.

" ... She regularly hikes in the woods and climbed up and down the walls of a ravine to get to the location where the DFW personnel were. Her arms are apparently strong enough to carry recording equipment while participating in such activities," the judge ruled.

Kehoe’s attorney, William Strazza, did not return a phone call seeking comment.